Hodgepodge

Yesterday Knut stole me away on a lunch date to our favorite cafe.  The waitress asked after we ate if we were thinking about dessert.  We said, yes, we were thinking about it.  She then left, and returned with our customary bread pudding and two spoons.  I think we’re becoming predictable.

If predictable means that people bring me bread pudding without me having to ask, then I always want to be predictable.

Our pullets have spent 3 days in the coop with the hens, and finally we have let them roam free.  Actually, I don’t think the hens were letting them have food and water often.  Letting them sort out their pecking order wasn’t going so well.  They seem to get along fine now that they can all roam the yard.  This has been a bad tick year…the worst I’ve seen since we’ve lived here.  I’m eager to bring out these extra 20 tick-eating-pullets to the yard scene.  If I have to pull off one more tick from a human or animal I may scream…again.

There weren’t enough places for all the pullets to roost in the coop, so I found 3 long, thin, sturdy branches and set them up in there.  I’m eager to see if they got used, and if the big hens preferred the ladder or the branches.

Yesterday, our 100 meat birds arrived.  This year we ordered a new breed called “king kosher” and these boys look fantastic.  I’ve never seen such energetic, healthy looking chicks.  They’re busy eating in the brooder, but will be overstuffed in there in about 2 weeks.  Knut and Erik worked hard during the down season on a second chicken tractor since they were going from handling 50 meat birds to handling 100 this year.  However, the best one got ruined this last weekend, so as soon as the planting is finished, they have quick work to do to rebuild.

During these wet days, Knut has been helping me catch up a bunch in the garden.  I’m no where near caught up, but it’s nice to have the help.  His roses are nearly blooming now.  So are the peonies.  I’m so ready for more of these flowers.  Pictured above is the lily of the valley, which is nearly all gone now.  It’s such a quick blooming flower.

Ingrid continues to be into everything all the time, which makes spring chores both inside and out very difficult.  This girl knows her mind, and communicates it forcefully.  Fortunately, we have a team of hands to reign her in.  It would be harder if she weren’t smiling all the time.  Her smile get all of us to do her will too easily.  I’m not sure if she’s genuinely just happy all the time, or if it’s part of her evil plan to take over the world and control us all.  I should probably worry about that, but I won’t for now.

Our pregnant cat has been missing for 3 days.  We suspect she picked someplace out of the way to have her litter but we haven’t found where that is yet.  Silje’s going on a hunt this morning since she spotted her this morning from her bedroom window.  [Update: pregnant cat found, bigger than ever.  The poor thing doesn’t feel like venturing out much these days.] Also, we may have a new cat on our hands as a black tomcat has been hanging around in the barn.  Elias has always wanted a black cat, so he could name him “Ninja” so that’s what we’ve been calling him.  Since the majority of our cats are tomcats, I’m surprised our cats are welcoming him so easily.  We seem to have enough mice to satisfy them all, though Ninja seems quite wild and doesn’t come up and snuggle us like our cats do.  At any rate, Elias is excited to finally have his own cat.  He doesn’t like to snuggle cats anyway.